EJ Dionne: No, Mr. President, you can't do what you want

[MBS]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/no-mr-president-you-cant-do-what-you-want/2017/04/19/374c8ece-2534-11e7-bb9d-8cd6118e1409_story.html?


Excerpt below. Worth reading the whole thing, though- his prose is almost musical in its rhythm, and the power increases with every iteration of "I can do what I want."

Two issues are paramount in American politics. The first is whether President Trump will get away with his arrogant dismissal of the public’s right to a transparent government free of corrupting conflicts of interest. The second is whether those who would hold him to account remain focused, mobilized and determined. They are related. There are many reasons to stand against Trump, but the one that should take precedence — because it is foundational for decent governance — is his autocratic assumption that he is above the expectations that apply to us normal humans.
Should Trump separate himself completely from his business interests, as presidents had been doing for more than four decades? His implicit message is always: No, I can do what I want.Should he release his income-tax returns so the public can see where conflicts might exist — including whether he will benefit from his own tax proposals? No, he says, I can do what I want.
. . .
Asked about Turkey in a December 2015 interview with, of all people, Stephen K. Bannon — now his chief strategist who back then hosted a radio show on Breitbart — Trump admitted: “I have a little conflict of interest because I have a major, major building in Istanbul.” He also described Erdogan as “a strong leader” and added: “I thrive on complicated.” Should we be able to know how Trump was influenced by his “complicated” Turkish interests, including his “major, major” project? No, he says, I can do what I want.

And a last question: If Hillary Clinton had done any one of the things described above, is there any doubt about what Republicans in Congress would be saying and doing? As long as all but a few honorable Republicans remain silent, GOP leaders will be miring their party in the muck of Trump’s norm-breaking. No, they are saying, he can do what he wants.
. . .
It’s said that Trump always skates away. Not true. Those he ripped off in his Trump University scam stuck with the fight and forced Trump to settle a lawsuit he said (in an untruth typical of his approach) he would never settle. The country’s citizens can prevail, too, if we insist on calling out a self-absorbed huckster who treats us all as easily bamboozled fools.

[ginnyinWI]

1. excellent, excelllent!

This can't be said enough. We the people are the only ones who can get this situation changed!

[DFW]

2. EJ Dionne is currently writing a book with a friend of mine

Last edited Thu Apr 20, 2017, 02:35 PM - Edit history (1)

It is about the dawning of the Trump era, and is expected to come out in the fall.

Knowing the genius of Dionne and at least one of the two other co-authors, it should be a landmark book.

[MBS]

8. Thanks for the heads-up!

I will watch for that one, for sure.

[DFW]

9. For future reference

The other two co-authors are Thomas Mann and my friend, whose name is Norm Ornstein.

[2naSalit]

3. K&R

[MFM008]

4. No such thing

As an honorable republican.

[hurple]

5. Ugh

Locked behind a pay wall.

[Paladin]

6. Terrific work by Dionne, as usual.

Gotta love that "I thrive on complicated" line of trump's. Things get complicated, and he hauls ass to Florida to play golf---hey, he thrives on it......

[Nitram]

7. We all have to keep pounding away at this. We can't let them forget for a minute.

We can't let this become normal because we're tired of reminding everybody about it.